Coos County economic development agencies have a long, and in the case of the Port of Coos Bay, well documented past full of multimillion dollar failures. (Read The JOB Messiahs). Recently, the port declined to maintain its paid alliance with another economic development agency, SCDC (South Coast Development Council) citing the $30,000 cost as the motivating factor in ending its membership. Just as the taxpayer’s investment in the port hasn’t paid off, effectively the port has acknowledged that the investment in SCDC hasn’t paid off either and follows the county’s decision to bow out two years ago.
Now it seems there is a trend toward questioning whether monies invested in economic development is really paying off. Lane County is addressing this same issue by refusing to fund the Lane Metro Partnership, another economic development agency aimed at recruiting business to Lane County, unless it replaces its longtime executive director, Jack Roberts.
The dispute seems to revolve around whether Roberts and Lane Metro are effective, or whether there are better ways to spend the money now going to the agency.
This is could be a good sign if the trend continues in dismantling the existing business recruiting construct that has proven to be so ineffective for so long.
[hat tip/themguys]
Them thar Messerlies sho learned how to suck the teat, what do we have today, three of them suckin them public dollars? Farming much be too hard work for them now. What a shame, they should have kept the bullshit they bring into town on the farm. I thought they were quite wealthy land owners, guess I was wrong, they need the public welfare now, just like the meth heads, only on a grander scale. My opinion only.
SCDC has spent more than 2 million of private and public money and they have created two jobs – the director and the directors helper. More could be accomplished opening a business and hiring people. None of the people who have led SCDC have ever created a job. Why expect more. Read the web sites of SCDC and of SOREDI (I think) – the Medford area equal. Compare what you get for your money.